Thursday, December 1, 2011

Winter Weight Check

Worried about gaining weight over the winter? Those holiday pounds already stacking up? Feeling a little bit like a breakfast sausage in those jeans you bought last month? Well don't you fret, don't you frown, you are not alone. And, by-golly, you might as well use the same reason for your recent plumping as our four-legged friends at Drowsy Water Ranch: It's stinking cold out.

After we finish cutting the hay on the meadows at the Walden ranch, we pasture a handful (okay, maybe more like a few trailer-fulls) of our horses for the fall. Their manes get tangled. Their feet get dirty. They run and kick and buck like wild horses. And, most importantly, they get free choice on plenty of green grass.

We headed up to check on the herd last week. Generally, we like it when they are clearly a little round in the middle. We also like to see some nice fuzz growing over their sleek, shiny, summer coats.

Soon, as the snow starts flying and the temperatures start dropping, those extra pounds and fuzz will come in handy. Most of our herd stays at Drowsy Water Ranch for the winter where we feed them hay daily. Some stay at a neighbor's ranch in Walden where they are also fed hay daily.

So, if you, like our horses, might have a few extra pounds heading into winter, just tell your friends (and yourself) that you need it as protection from the cold. Tell them you are just supporting your horse friends in Colorado.